brothel

[ broth-uhl, broth-, braw-thuhl, -thuhl ]

noun

1. a house of prostitution.

brothel

/ ˈbrɒθəl /

noun

1. a house or other place where men pay to have sexual intercourse with prostitutes
2. informal.
   any untidy or messy place

Other Words From

• brothel·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of brothel¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, for an earlier sense; short for brothel-house “whorehouse”; Middle English brothel “harlot,” originally, “worthless person,” from broth- (past participle stem of brethen, Old English brēothan “to decay, degenerate”) + -el, noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of brothel¹

C16: short for brothel-house , from C14 brothel useless person, from Old English brēothan to deteriorate; related to briethel worthless

Example Sentences

The documentary Ukraine Is Not a Brothel, directed by Kitty Green, opens in a most unusual way.

From The Daily Beast

One hour into Ukraine Is Not a Brothel, Green sits down with Victor for an interview.

From The Daily Beast

O Muck, Brothel-Spawn, or e'en loathsomer if it is possible so to be!

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bordello
• red-light district